Increasing Awareness of Substance Abuse and Addictions: Does Early Childhood Drug Education Provide Diversion from Using Drugs and/or Alcohol?

Abstract

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 70 percent of adolescents have experimented with alcohol, while 20 percent have experimented with prescription drugs before their senior year in high school. Alcohol and drug abuse has become a nationwide problem. A small rural community in southern Indiana reports that almost 12 percent of its population uses drugs daily. The authors hypothesize that current school-based alcohol and drug curriculums are not robust enough to divert risky behavior during adolescence. Surveys were administered to residents living in two separate transitional homes for people with addiction. The surveys consisted of questions regarding drug and alcohol abuse related to childhood education. The process was completed using a descriptive study. Participants in the study (n = 17) revealed valuable information confirming their rationales for substance abuse. Overwhelmingly, all participants agreed that drug education needs to be available in early childhood education. As substance abuse escalates, so must our efforts to research and understand the problem. The examination of current adolescent drug and alcohol prevention programs isessential to help promote program evaluation and in identifying potential education needs for our youth.